Level 1, 241 Adelaide St, Suite #1053, Brisbane, QLD 4000 1300719665 sonia@soniamcdonald.com.au
Get in touch
Get in touch

Leadership Crusader and Global Keynote Speaker

Science-Driven. Heart-Led. Leadership for the Future.

Sonia energises the room with science and heart.

Sonia brings the neuroscience to shift mindsets and spark bold action.

It’s the future—powered by insight, driven by heart.

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Leadership Crusader and Global Keynote Speaker

#1 Leadership and Courage Speaker and Coach.

Event falling flat?
Energise it with Sonia, big time. Feeling overlooked?
Let Sonia boost your leadership stage. Stuck on a plateau?
Break through with Sonia’s coaching.

Enquire to book
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“Sonia held the 300 attendee audiences attention the whole time. She energised them, she made them laugh, she made them think. I would recommend anyone looking for a speaker to empower their staff – Sonia should be your choice. She exudes energy and positivity and leaves you feeling like you can do anything. She is incredible.”

QSUPER GROUP

Keynote Topics & Books

Sonia challenges deeply held and outdated leadership beliefs.
It’s not about titles— it’s about how you show up, every single day.
Ready to transform challenges into opportunities and lead boldly?

Leadership is an Attitude

Own It or Step Aside
Learn More

Just Rock It!

Stop Doubting, Start Leading
Learn More

First Comes Courage

Be Brave, Be Bold, Lead On
Learn More

“Sonia was so motivating and encouraging, and I left the room feeling like I really could accomplish anything that I set my mind to.
I believe that Sonia has the potential to influence leaders at every stage of their journey, and as I progress through my professional career I always find that Sonia has unique content to help me along my personal development as a leader in my field.”

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Meet Sonia McDonald:
The Queen of Courageous Leadership

Sonia McDonald isn’t just talking about leadership—she’s shaking it up, flipping it on its head, and making it bold, fearless, and unapologetically real. With over 30 years of experience and a fire in her belly to empower leaders, Sonia has made it her mission to inspire greatness and create a world filled with courageous game-changers.

Her story? It’s not your typical corporate climb. After being left as a single mum in a foreign country with nothing but grit and determination, Sonia rebuilt her life from the ground up. She faced rejection after rejection before founding LeadershipHQ—an empire built on the belief that leadership isn’t about fancy titles but about how you show up every single day. Through her no-BS programs, coaching, and keynotes, she’s transformed thousands of leaders into powerhouses ready to change the world.

An internationally recognised speaker, life-changing coach and best-selling author of books like Just Rock It! and First Comes Courage, Sonia has been featured in global media and praised for her energy, authenticity, and straight-up brilliance. Whether on stage or coaching behind the scenes, Sonia brings her signature blend of sass, wisdom, and heart to inspire leaders to step up, own their space, and lead with courage.

If you’re ready to stop waiting for permission, step up, and lead like the badass you are, Sonia’s got your back. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a way of being. And Sonia McDonald is here to show you how it’s done.

RELATABLE.

ENERGETIC.

REAL.

CANDID.

INSPIRING.

Book Sonia for an upcoming
event or conference

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“Sonia is one gutsy woman; her story of humble beginnings that led her to self-motivated success was very inspiring. She introduced us to the concept of confidence and leadership in our roles (even if we don’t have Manager or Leader in our titles) and she managed to keep a fairly chatty crowd engaged and eager to hear more.”

The EA Initiative Team

Online Self Paced Courses

Emerging and Women Leaders

Latest from the Blog

Sonia writes about everything to bring out your greatness!

Hear out what her clients and audences say about her

Testimonials

Sonia’s Impact as a Keynote Speaker Testimonials and Transformations

"Sonia is an enthusiastic speaker who communicates complex concepts in an entertaining and engaging manner. Her depth of knowledge and understanding of leadership is exemplified in the detail she goes into in her presentation. There’s no fluff, just substance and she’ll give you skills to take home, tell others and start using immediately to better you, your company and everyone around you."
LA’QUAR
"Sonia held the 300 attendee audiences attention the whole time. She energised them, she made them laugh, she made them think. I would recommend anyone looking for a speaker to empower their staff - Sonia should be your choice. She exudes energy and positivity and leaves you feeling like you can do anything. She is incredible."

QSUPER GROUP
"Sonia was so motivating and encouraging, and I left the room feeling like I really could accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I believe that Sonia has the potential to influence leaders at every stage of their journey, and as I progress through my professional career I always find that Sonia has unique content to help me along my personal development as a leader in my field."
GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
"Sonia facilitated the Women in Mantra leadership workshop for us on International Women’s Day. Her passion and energy left our Team Members feeling inspired to achieve leadership roles at Mantra Group, and they have already set up local networking groups and put measurable goals in place."


MANTRA
"Sonia is an outstanding motivational speaker who inspires her audience to be inclusive and balanced leaders and you always leave wanting to hear more. Thankfully she also has wonderful books to support your journey to not only outstanding leadership, but courage and growth."


QLD DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"Sonia spoke at our company's annual International Women's Day event 2022 and all guests absolutely loved her presentation. We have received feedback from many people that Sonia was inspiring and created a great positive energy in the room. Sonia really understood our company's core values and tailored the presentation to our needs."

WOLTER CONSULTING GROUP
"We engaged Sonia as a presenter for a career development seminar. We found her style professional, engaging and warm and feedback from our team was incredibly positive. Thanks Sonia, we look forward to having you back again!"



HALL CHADWICK
“Sonia is one gutsy woman; her story of humble beginnings that led her to self-motivated success was very inspiring. She introduced us to the concept of confidence and leadership in our roles (even if we don’t have Manager or Leader in our titles) and she managed to keep a fairly chatty crowd engaged and eager to hear more.”


The EA Initiative Team
“Sonia McDonald is an inspirational keynote and workshop presenter with a distinctive ability to bond and engage with her audiences. Sonia is well-known for her dynamic, charismatic workshop/presentation style and people walk away on an emotional and inspired high, feeling informed.”


HR Architect
“Sonia has spoken twice at our annual event for 16-18-year-old student leaders, and each time she was instantly able to connect with her audience, generating challenging and authentic discussion. Sonia was able to share insightful expertise relevant to any age group and experience level, and her energy and passion made her sessions a highlight of the event. I would highly recommend Sonia for any speaking engagement or event!”
Griffith University
“Sonia combines bucket loads of passion for her clearly defined purpose, a thorough grounding in the principles of leadership and neuroscience, and an engaging personal style which makes her an adaptable and engaging presenter in front of any audience. Presenting at the LeadX event Sonia had the audience captured with her energy and compelling story telling, leaving all attendees empowered to surround themselves with the right people and confident to take risks to learn and lead.”
Revelian

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